ACLU Seeks Information On Extent Of Bush Administration Spying

[sabra]

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/26180prs20060719.html

ACLU Seeks Information On Extent Of Bush Administration Spying (7/19/2006)

Freedom of Information Act Request Seeks Data on Several New Financial Programs


NEW YORK— In an effort to determine the breadth of the Bush administration’s massive surveillance programs, the American Civil Liberties Union today filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with several government agencies seeking details of financial tracking efforts not only with regard to the SWIFT program revealed in June, but also several other financial organizations that ACLU research indicates are likely targets.

“The American public has a right to know just how many spying programs this administration has created without Congressional authorization or judicial oversight,” said Barry Steinhardt, Director of the ACLU’s Technology and Liberty Project. “We hope these official requests will help answer that question – and if illegal spying is taking place we will demand an end to it.”

...

In addition to SWIFT, the ACLU’s FOIA request asks for information about data collected by the government from several financial institutions that are likely targets of such monitoring:

-Bolero The Bill of Lading Electronic Registry Organization is an electronic exchange of trade for documents such as bills of lading (descriptions of shipped goods that control ownership of property when it is in transit). Owned in part by SWIFT, Bolero counts many of the world's largest corporations as customers.
-CHIPS The Clearing House Interbank Payment System, another financial transfer service, is privately owned by the New York Clearing House Association. It primarily handles international funds transfers denominated in U.S. dollars for banks and their large customer transactions. Customers include most of the major U.S. banks.
-Fedwire A wire transfer service run by the Federal Reserve, Fedwire allows U.S. banks to transfer funds to other participants on behalf of each other and their customers.

[Demeter]

1. Good Luck, Fellas!

If anyone can do it, you can! And thanks.

[rodeodance]

2. time to donate to the ACLU. They are going Grand work.